1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an information processing apparatus including a pointer indicator function, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus having a plurality of display screens for displaying operation screens and a method for providing notification when an operation screen is changed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various portable personal computers of a notebook or laptop type have been developed. This type of portable personal computer includes various functions for enhancing operability.
One example of such a function is a pointing device for a portable computer. An example of this type of pointing device is a tablet device which includes a touch pad as described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-44493 and which has been broadly used. When pointing operations such as a touch movement operation and tap operation are performed on this tablet device, various screen operations are possible such as controlling movement of a mouse pointer displayed on a display device and selection of a display button.
Moreover, in recent years, this type of portable personal computer includes various functions for enhancing the operability. One such function is a two-screen cooperation function of displaying a plurality of operation screens at the same time and reflecting the operation of one of the operation screens in another operation screen so that two-screen parallel operation is possible.
In the above-described prior-art document, a technique is described comprising: performing a touch operation in a position corresponding to an input field in a displayed application screen on a display screen to which a touch panel is attached to display a software keypad in one corner on the display screen. With this two-screen cooperation function, an input operation can be facilitated and accelerated.
Furthermore, the computer system described in the above-described prior-art document is constituted such that two screens to be operated in conjunction with each other are displayed on a single display (device). However, to further enhance operation, a system constitution has been realized in which one device includes two displays (devices). One display is used for main operation (main display), and the other display is used for sub-operation (sub-display).
However, there are problems which prevent the effective use of this two display system. One of the problems is that the user looks at the main display while performing a touch operation on the sub-display and the user is therefore apt to neglect visual screen operation confirmation of the sub-display.
As a result, when the operation screen of the sub-display changes as a result of an erroneous operation by the user on the operation screen of the sub-display without the user immediately being aware of it, problems may result. For example, an operation which has been performed may become invalid, or further erroneous operations may be performed before the first erroneous operation is detected.
In order for a user to avoid such negative results, the user must frequently visually check the display screen of the sub-display to ensure that such an erroneous operation has not occurred. However, for users skilled in “touch operation” (i.e., sightless or “blind” operation) of the sub-display, frequent visual checks of the sub-display may decrease the user's efficiency and may be annoying to the user, because such a user may prefer to instead focus on the main display screen substantially all through the operation.
Because such users skilled in touch operation do not frequently check the sub-display, however, a lot of time may pass before an erroneous operation is noticed by the user, possibly resulting in further erroneous operations. Furthermore, if a user has to constantly be switching his visual focus between the main display and the sub-display, the operability of the information processing apparatus may be impaired.
As described above, in the related art, in processing devices such as a portable computer, the main display and sub-display are provided, and an operable screen is displayed on each display. In this case, during the performing of the touch operation on the main display, the operator looks at the main display. Therefore, the operator is apt to neglect the screen operation confirmation of the sub-display, and there are problems that erroneous operation is caused and that operability is impaired.